2020 rookie profile: Ohio State S Jordan Fuller

After some transactions, the Los Angeles Rams had a total of nine picks, including three in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The Rams their sixth round (No. 199) pick on a second safety in this year’s draft by taking Ohio State’s Jordan Fuller, a team captain in 2018 and 2019.

Fuller is 6-foot-2-inch, 203-pound safety that carries himself well in the defensive backfield. In 2019 for the Buckeyes he had 62 tackles and two interceptions, with four pass breakups for the elite defense. He started 41 of the 52 games he played at OSU in his career, he also earned All-Big Ten honors after the 2019 season.

Head coach Sean McVay glowed about the prospects of getting a talent like Fuller in comments made to the Rams’ media session. “If you said Jordan Fuller was going to be there in the sixth round at 199, and we valued the makeup and production he had at a prominent school like Ohio State,” you just have to take him there.

Professional scouts indicate Fuller may need some work in his man-to-man coverage, or tight coverage, but he reads the run particularly well and is able to fill gaps and gain good tackling angles to make plays.

Asked about this by the Rams’ press in a video news conference, Fuller explained that he was asked to concentrate on pass defense by the OSU coaching staff, but he also really enjoyed stopping the run.

The Buckeye safety ranked as the 20th best defensive back in the NFL Draft and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.67-seconds, and he follows the Rams’ third-round pick of Terrell Burgess. The addition of Fuller and Burgess gives the Rams more options in how they can be more flexible with their reserved players.

Fuller, a starter as a Buckeye, commented on what it would be like to have to start over and earn playing time after being the go-to-guy in Ohio. Playing at OSU is what prepared Fuller for this. “Competition is no choice. You have to compete each and every day. You are competing against the very best [in the nation] at Ohio State,” said Fuller.

The former Buckeye said he has the mentality to start over, but he knows he is in a good place for himself. “I have a rookie mentality. I’m wanting to learn as much as possible and work as hard as possible,” said Fuller. “If I do that, apply myself, I’ll look up and find myself in a good place.”

According to NFL.com Fuller “was a first-team Academic All-American in 2017 and created a seminar to educate Ohio State student-athletes on sexual assault, sexual violence and healthy relationships. His brother, Devin, played receiver at UCLA.”

Fuller indicated he has family in Chatsworth CA, “Not L.A., but it is awesome out there.” His uncle is the famous comedian Sinbad.

Basically, Fuller brings much needed depth at safety. The Rams could be looking to utilize him more in the hybrid safety-linebacker role, similar to how they used Marqui Christian. It may take some training but if he’s the leader and student of the game that it seems like he is, he may just contribute sooner than we may expect.